The Commonwealth
"The mistakes of others are not ours. Nor our failure theirs. We seek only fairness in these matters." - Excerpt from Spokesman Andrea Janko's inauguration speech. History Formed in Dawn Era, 1327, The Commonwealth is one of the newest governments. Originally a loose collection of farms on the edge of the Winter Kingdom, the decision to create an elected governor led to it's development as a nation on it's own. Soon it began to recruit others, and hire a mercenary force that would later become the foundation of its military service. In 1744, the Commonwealth entered into a brief war with the Elven Domain after negotiations concerning a border dispute broke down. The war lasted a total of Seven Months, and ended in a total victory and massive land gain by the Commonwealth Armed Forces. The aftermath has led to increasing tensions between the two nations, while the Draconic Empire attempts to facilitate negotiation between the two to the best of it's ability. Politics The Commonwealth is run by a cabinet of elected officials, led by the Premier, or Spokesman. After five years serving in a post, on abdication from a post, or on a vote of no-confidence, those who are eligible to vote (Past and present commisioned members of the Armed Forces, Those whose land and holdings are valued at 10,000 gold or more, those not elected to government office in the past ten years) will then decide out of two choices by the Spokesman who is to take the position next. Should enough people refuse to vote, No Confidence is called and a new Spokesman is chosen by the public. The Spokesman The Spokesman's role is to oversee disputes between the Generals and deal with the collection and appropriate use of tax money. The Spokesman is also in charge of delivering information to the public at large, and deciding on candidates for election. As of 1750, the Spokesman is Premier Andrea Janko. She was elected due to her tough approach to border policy in light of issues with the Elven Domain. War Master General The War Master General is the second-oldest post in the government. In charge of military projects, R&D and funding, as well as the assignment of troops, conscription and recruiting, the War Master General is the first line of defense, and the most well-known position in the government. As of 1741, the incumbent War Master General is Admiral Ellis. He was elected to this position due to the push he gave the air fleet, greatly supporting the push towards aeroplanes for military use. Trade Master General The Trade Master General is in charge of international diplomacy. The oldest post in the government, originally the role was simply about overseeing fair trade between those inside the Commonwealth, a hundred years ago the incumbent of the office decided to take international negotiation out of the hands of the War Master General. As of 1746, the incumbent Trade Master General is Nastasya Denisovna. She was elected to the position due to her influence within the Trade Guild, and has seen an opening of free trade with the Royaume, signing several agreements that greatly benefit the Commonwealth as a whole. Prison Master General The role of the Prison Master General is to keep an eye on the power and defensive tasks of the military police force, as well as officiate on serious cases and assign judges to courts. As of 1721, the incumbent Prison Master General is Nikolai Granin. Originally elected due to his view on developing large-scale prison facilities, he has faced little to no opposition. Generally well-regarded, although his long time in office has led to "Being sent to Granin" being used as a way to refer to arrest by the police. Public Master General The Public Master General is a very new post, having existed for barely over a decade. The role of this post is to relay the comments and concerns of the public to the others, as well as oversee the elections. For this reason, the Public Master General is appointed by the Spokesman personally upon his/her election. As of 1750, the incumbent Citizen Master General is Prost DeGuranakov. Military The military is led by the War Master General, and is divided into Land, Sea and the recent Air. The military practices conscription in rare cases, such as when evacuating a town in the event of a border station falling, but usually relies on sign ups and propaganda. Currently, the military patrols the border between the Elven lands and the Commonwealth, and fights an ongoing war of protection with the remains of the Winter Kingdom on the northern border. Those assigned this duty are reffered to as Border Watch. As of 1753, the military are also in charge of settling the lands discovered in the New World. For More Information, see The Commonwealth Defence Force main article. The Law and Criminality When a criminal is caught by the local Military Police (MP), they are brought before a judge appointed by the government as a whole, and given trial in front of a jury of legal voters who will decide their guilt. The accused is allowed to speak on their own behalf during this trial, or appoint someone to speak for them should they be unable to. Evidence and/or testimony is required to seal a conviction. The Commonwealth uses prison-time in large stone fortresses in the icy tundra for long-time convicts. Although inspired by the asylums of the Royaume, these are primarily built for punitive as opposed to rehabilitative measures. Most sentences are for a minimum of five years, during which time they will be made to work mining or performing other tasks depending on where they are sentenced to stay. Beyond this, serious crimes will earn you a death by hanging or, in the case of military crimes or crimes perpetrated by military individuals, firing squad. Technology See Commonwealth R&D for further information. Technology thrives in the Commonwealth. The creation of steam engines led to a cross-country rail network and eventually this drive for fast transportation, pushed by the military, led to the creation of motorized automobiles. Those with a technologically-minded brain are rapidly snapped up by various industries, if not the government itself, and put to work in lucrative careers designing transportation, weapons and even household appliances. The Commonwealth's air fleet is expansive, and as well as Airships contains many fightercraft. The small propeller planes are loaded with lightweight weaponry and designed to fight the flying creatures and ships of the Winter Kingdom with speed. Automobiles Increasing in popularity among the upper middle and upper class are Automobiles. Motorbikes are small bi-wheeled vehicles that move quickly, particularly over rough terrain. They consume less fuel and are surprisingly fast, but this agility comes at the cost of protection. Cars are vehicles that provide a safe, protected means of transportation around the Commonwealth, although they do require refuelling. The cost of the materials required to refuel them, as well as the rarity of refuelling "Stations" outside of the Commonwealth itself, means that beyond the cities and highways of the Commonwealth these vehicles are a very rare sight. Geography To the north, the Commonwealth is a frozen, icy wasteland where people live simple lives, as you travel south it becomes warmer, but never loses the chill in the air. Rainfall is quite common. Due to it's close proximity to the Winter Kingdom, many cities in the north are still bathed in eternal night. Society In cities, Commonwealth Society resembles a mixture of European and Russian society circa 1850-1915. With the large, imposing walls and dark buildings that reach into the skies, the air is often thick with smoke and fumes, especially in poorer districts where houses are more clumped together. Despite the high living costs and poor air quality, many people prefer this life to the dangerous life in the Outback where fiends may attack at any time. The Outback resembles American society from that same era, with homesteaders, ranchhands and sherriffs. As the first major human Democracy, the Commonwealth are very proud of it's citizenry, and often take a people-first approach to it's dealings with others. The people are proud of their homeland, it's achievements and it's refusal to let the past stand in the way of it's future. However, the looming threat of the Winter Kingdom is ever present, and cities near the border are under the constant fear of evacuation, or even Martial Law. the military is ever-present. Food and Drink The diet of the Commonwealth is heavily based on stews and outside of cities game-meat. Roasted meats are eaten at weekends with side dishes of potatoes and vegetables, but at it's heart simple, warm food is considered best for the cold nights in the north. Without a system to get free clean drinking water anywhere outside of major cities alcohol is still popular, but lately carbonated beverages from the Draconic Empire have been taking off in popularity. Clothing Commonwealth clothes are designed for warmth, with long coats, cloaks, scarfs and wool the norm. There are no major social-limitations to clothing worn, and men and women wear all kinds of fashions. Clothes from the Royaume are seen as exotic and a bit scandalous, but generally impractical due to the expensive material and thinness of the fabric. Marriage and Family For the Commonwealth, family is seen as important. Big families are the norm, due to the cold leading to people wanting to stay warm however they can, and the bond between blood is valued highly. When it comes to marriage, traditionally the couple either portmanteau their family names (A DeGuranakov McAlis wedding could lead to either McGuranakov or DeAlis) or hyphenate, depending on the length of the names and personal preference. Divorce is highly irregular and a societal taboo not discussed in company. Popularity Currently, everyone wants a radio, the new broadcasting system that allows people to hear messages beamed from Radio Stations all over the Commonwealth, from the news to stories, once a day in the evenings and twice a day at weekends. Families that have one, especially in the Outback, will invite their neighbours and friends to radio parties to listen to the weekend broadcast. Education Compulsory education in the Commonwealth starts at age 5 and continues to age 10. Each day, students begin lessons at Five AM and end them at Seven PM. Lessons include history, technology, reading, writing, and Arithmatic. Once the age of 10 is reached, students will either pay for or apply for a scholarship to a university to continue education for another eight years, or sign themselves to a trade job or military service. Medicine For those who cannot afford Clerical tending, Commonwealth Hospitals were set up to perform physical medicine such as surgeries. Although study in this field is still new, they are proud to have a 65% survival rating on complex surgeries such as amputation. Species and Religion There is very little species discrimination, although Elves are treated with weariness due to the historical hostility between the Elven Domain and the Commonwealth. There are no dominant religions in the Commonwealth, but many citizens subscribe to one god or another. Magic At the age of nine, all Commonwealth citizens are given a physical by a medical doctor and a mage. During this physical they are tested on their visual and aural acuity, general overall health and their Magic Potential. Those who are seen as having a high Magic Potential are kept under scrutiny by the government and their teachers. If they have not received a placement in a Mage's Guild licensed university through personal funds or a scholarship they are conscripted into military and government service for training and supervision. The process of Mage Conscription is seen as something to be dreaded by many families, and so at years end every year universities are flooded with requests for placement. Death in the Commonwealth Death is a solemn affair in the Commonwealth. The body is cleaned by a loved one of the deceased, and dressed in suitable clothing- for those who held military rank, a uniform is a common choice. In keeping with the gnomish tradition, the deceased is buried or cremated with a "Gift" from their mourners and inheritors. The gift may be coins, an important possession, a lock of hair or another symbollic possession. Funeral services are held the next dawn after their death, in order to allow proper time to prepare the body for it's last rest. During the funeral, it is common to read poetry or make solemn speeches about the deceased's impact on your life. Once the ashes or the coffin have been buried, a headstone with the name, date of birth, and date of death engraved on a small metal plaque is placed at the head of the grave. These plaques are rarely larger than the palm of a hand, but are typically made of the finest metal the relatives could afford. Bathing and Utilities In the cities, every house is linked up to the water network, where they have access to enough water to bathe once a week and for drinking water, but more than that and water is a finite and expensive resource. Houses are linked up to a central sewage system, that disposes of waste far from the city itself, usually into the ocean. In the Outback, away from cities, most houses have a tin bath that is pulled out once a week and heated by a fireplace, and generally bathing is seen as a positive. Free standing privvys at the end of the garden are the norm for toilets, but internal toilets linked to the sewage system are the norm in cities. Taboos Drunkenness in public is considered unsightly, especially with children present. Criminal acts are often seen as irredeemable, and those who have committed crimes in the past are harshly judged and criticised should this be discovered. Drug use is frowned upon, as it is seen as making you an unproductive and damaging influence on society around you. Nudity is considered highly embarrassing at any age. Bathing is done in private once you are old enough to bathe yourself, and the only people who should know about the state of your unclad body are your spouse and your doctor. Public use of magic is greatly frowned upon, especially by non-Guild mages.Category:Factions Category:Commonwealth Category:Societies